Description
Delight in these festive Pumpkin Spice Cut-Out Cookies, perfectly spiced for autumn celebrations. Soft yet crispy depending on thickness, these cookies are easy to make and decorated with both thin and thick icing options for a beautiful finish. Ideal for holiday cookie exchanges and cozy tea times.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 cup Crisco® all-vegetable shortening (1 baking stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Thin Icing:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons warm water, more if needed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Food coloring, optional
For the Thick Icing:
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 egg whites
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- Food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Shortening and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 3 to 5 minutes), scraping the bowl sides as needed.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually blend in the flour mixture just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Prepare Dough for Rolling: Divide dough in half using lightly floured hands. Dough may be crumbly but will come together when pressed. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness for crispier cookies or 3/8-inch for a softer texture.
- Cut Cookies: Use 3-inch candy corn and pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 11 minutes until they puff up and edges are golden brown.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Thin Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, warm water, salt, and optional food coloring until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more sugar to thicken or more water to thin as needed. Use a piping bottle to decorate cooled cookies.
- Prepare Thick Icing: In a stand mixer with a whisk or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat lemon juice and egg whites on low until combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each. Divide and color as desired for decorating.
Notes
- For crispier cookies, roll dough thinner (1/4 inch); for softer cookies, roll thicker (3/8 inch).
- Adjust icing consistency as needed to suit your decorating style.
- Eggs should be at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Decoration designs are inspired by Sweet Sugar Belle’s pumpkin pie slice cookies.
- Handle cookies gently when transferring to avoid breakage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
